Europe’s disappearing borders

Political and economic agreements have brought borders down across the continent

Since the signing of the Schengen Agreements in 1985, the borders of most of the European continent have been erased little by little from the landscape and from people’s imagination. The agreements are a giant leap in the progressive unification of Europe and the emergence of a European consciousness. Today, with 26 countries belonging to the Schengen Area, 16,500km of borders can be freely crossed. The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union has ratified the historical importance of this almost imperceptible but radical change in Europe.

Since 2007, with the help of a GPS navigation device and detailed maps, I have conducted eight trips along these erased borderlines. I calculated that I crossed the borders more than a thousand times without having to show my papers.

Even if these pictures have been taken thousands of kilometres apart, they all provide an image that is far from the stereotype we tend to associate with the notion of a border.

France-Germany border, view from Fleckenstein castle, 2007. Now a popular French tourist destination, the castle sits in an area long disputed by the two countries

Austria-Italy border, Staller Mountain Pass, 2012. Italy and Austria were the first countries to introduce the concept of a ‘moving border’ in response to the ongoing changes caused by the shifting and melting of glaciers

Slovakia-Poland border, Kasprowy Wierch Mountain in the Western Tatras, 2011. In the past, patrols prevented people from skiing here in winter. Now, a mother and her child freely roam around a border post

Switzerland-Italy border, Gobba di Rollin between Zermatt (Switzerland) and Cervinia (Italy), 2008. This cordon on the Swiss side, just feet from the border, prevents skiers from ending up in the ravine on the Italian side

France-Belgium border, former customs house on the D60 road east of Bray-Dunes (France), 2007. One of a number of disused customs houses that have been converted for other purposes – in this case a chocolatier

Czech Republic-Poland border, between Bila Voda (Czech Republic) and Kamienica (Poland), 2012. Postwar errors in the drawing of this border mean that the Czech Republic is due (subject to negotiation) to cede 350 hectares to Poland

Italy-France border, D6327 road between Menton (France) and Grimaldi (Italy), 2007. Here, the border between the two countries is indicated by a subtle change in road surface – the result of each country using different maintenance companies

Estonia-Latvia border, between Valga (Estonia) and Valka (Latvia), 2010. In 1920, the establishment of Latvia and Estonia resulted in the division of what had been a single town, which is now effectively reunited again

Austria-Liechtenstein-Switzerland borderline, between Fresch (Austria) and Schellenberg (Liechtenstein), 2012. Although Liechtenstein and Switzerland are not EU members, both are signatories to the Schengen open-borders agreement

Austria-Germany-Switzerland border, Lake Constance, between Hörbranz (Austria) and Zech (Germany), 2012. In this area of the lake, the border between the three countries has never been agreed upon, leading to occasional controversy but little tension